[India] Why Gen Z workers are happy to share salaries online

Traditionally people have been uncomfortable discussing their salaries in public, in India and across many parts of the world. However, a campaign gaining traction on social media is determined to break this social prohibition as young workers post their salaries online, Hindustan Times reports.

Younger employees are pushing for greater salary transparency by sharing their salaries with others publicly through viral tweets, memes, and TikTok accounts.

The trend evolved from a series of videos by TikToker Hannah Williams in which she asks people, “How much do you make?” Ms Williams began creating the videos when she learned being paid less than her colleagues. She then began discussing her salary on TikTok and her frankness encouraged her followers who subsequently joined in, according to Mint reporting.

The salary taboo

Although no legislation exists that bans employees from discussing their salaries, it is a common practice for Indian companies to discourage any such talk. Many firms dislike it and some even go as far as creating a policy to prohibit employees from disclosing their salaries.

However, few organisations exist where recruiters do not decide on a wage offer based on the employee’s prior salary. The HR department negotiates remuneration depending on what a prospective employee used to earn at their previous company.

The aim of the ‘Show me your salary’ campaign, inspired by Ms Williams’ videos, is to eradicate pay distinctions based on gender and between employees doing the same work.

India trails in 135th place out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2022. Disclosing income may help to reduce such disparity. LinkedIn Market Research cited in Mint’s reporting shows that more than 80 per cent of Gen Z participants believe income sharing will strengthen wage equality.

Source: Hindustan Times

(Link via original reporting)

Traditionally people have been uncomfortable discussing their salaries in public, in India and across many parts of the world. However, a campaign gaining traction on social media is determined to break this social prohibition as young workers post their salaries online, Hindustan Times reports.

Younger employees are pushing for greater salary transparency by sharing their salaries with others publicly through viral tweets, memes, and TikTok accounts.

The trend evolved from a series of videos by TikToker Hannah Williams in which she asks people, “How much do you make?” Ms Williams began creating the videos when she learned being paid less than her colleagues. She then began discussing her salary on TikTok and her frankness encouraged her followers who subsequently joined in, according to Mint reporting.

The salary taboo

Although no legislation exists that bans employees from discussing their salaries, it is a common practice for Indian companies to discourage any such talk. Many firms dislike it and some even go as far as creating a policy to prohibit employees from disclosing their salaries.

However, few organisations exist where recruiters do not decide on a wage offer based on the employee’s prior salary. The HR department negotiates remuneration depending on what a prospective employee used to earn at their previous company.

The aim of the ‘Show me your salary’ campaign, inspired by Ms Williams’ videos, is to eradicate pay distinctions based on gender and between employees doing the same work.

India trails in 135th place out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2022. Disclosing income may help to reduce such disparity. LinkedIn Market Research cited in Mint’s reporting shows that more than 80 per cent of Gen Z participants believe income sharing will strengthen wage equality.

Source: Hindustan Times

(Link via original reporting)